The Pittsburgh Steelers’ star pass rusher T.J. Watt will miss more time than the team initially expected. Watt, who is out since Week 1 due to torn pectoral muscle, also recently underwent knee surgery that will now prolong his return to action.
Watt tore his pectoral muscle late in the fourth quarter of a Week 1 win over the Cincinnati Bengals and was initially set to miss around six weeks. But the 27-year-old now decided to also undergo a procedure to resolve a lingering knee issue and is likely to miss up to two extra weeks.
While Watt’s return can’t come soon enough for the Steelers, it is unlikely the team will rush their player back on the field until he’s ready. This means that the most likely target date for Watt is after the Steelers’ bye in Week 9.
T.J. Watt, who won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors last season, seemed poised for another big year. He harassed the Bengals’ offense in Week 1, making six tackles, 1.0 sacks, and grabbing one interception.
Without Watt, the Steelers largely struggled and were unable to contain their opponents. Since he went down, Pittsburgh’s defense only had three sacks while losing all three of their games.
